Scruffy jeans at new job - does it matter?

[ScruffyTrouserMindFlip]

My OH has just started a new job (this was his 3rd day). It's for a night manager at Tesco on £37k. Today he was not customer facing - just doing paperwork etc and training. They said he should wear jeans.

The thing is, the jeans he wore were, imo, really scruffy. Also, I think that looking smart does matter, especially in a managerial role, and especially when you are new.

However, he says I don't know what I'm on about, because I have an office job and it's different. Also that no-one said anything to him about his appearance, and they would have done, if it were an issue.

It makes me feel like I'm mad, that to me it's so obvious that you don't go into work looking like that, but another person can be equally gobsmacked that anyone would think it mattered at sll! I would be more than happy to hear that I'm wrong. Just need some honest, unbiased views!

YABU - The jeans are fine / no-one will think twice.

YANBU - Employers do still care about this sort of thing

Photographing his jeans and posting them on mumsnet is batshit, I love it 🤣

Thanks. I do really feel stressed about it, because of the circumstances, I can't tell whether it's clouding my judgement.

YANBU and those jeans are scruffy.

That said, I can't ever imagine getting this over invested in someone else's work clothing.

If I'd already lost multiple jobs (for any reason), I'd be trying harder to keep this one, including not taking chances with clothes. If he has nicer jeans, he should've worn those instead. I think I'd tell him plainly that you're worried about financial security and hope that he cares enough to change, next time. It's not that difficult to change clothes, so it feels like a lack of respect for your opinion. Proving a point. Or is he really that lazy?

Those jeans are a lot better than some of the ones Tesco sell, full of rips. They knock jeans out for about £20 a pair, why doesn’t he pick up a new pair?

sorry I agree with you they are scruffy. it's really not that hard to dress a little bit more. there are suitable clothes out there that can be bought for all types of budgets. our office is pretty casual however managers do where smart version of slacks and runners. one of the high up ones has been pulled up I know a few times over what he wears. he came in one day when we had an audit as well as visitors from over seas in a scruffy rugby shirt and runners. he looked the odd one out as they all walked around. how about you suggest to him start buying some new clothes now he has a new job ? people will say it doesn't matter but it does humans automatically make a judgement of you based on how you look within 5 seconds of seeing you. it's human nature. I was at another presentation there recently and the guy presenting it hadn't ironed his shirt. he was there on stage in front of 50 people and all I could see as he spoke and walked around was the huge creases on his shirt 🙈

Can't change my vote, but those are not scruffy jeans

Yes they are!!

was he sacked for being scruffy in the past?

No - a few times for just getting things wrong. This has stopped since the medication.

Last couple he's been unlucky tbf - he's a primary school teacher by trade, but has only got maternity cover roles. The last woman just came back, hence the new job.

I can't help but feel that it can't hurt his chances of keeping a job / being taken on permanently, to look smart though. But maybe it is irrelevant.

They’re fine, not scruffy.

@fount He genuinely doesn't see it as an issue, hence not buying anything new. I have no idea whether it's a neurodiversity thing, or a laziness thing, or if it's just me overreacting and he's the normal one. It's so hard to tell!

Male primary teachers seem highly prized. The new job period for September is well past, but I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up.

@fount He genuinely doesn't see it as an issue, hence not buying anything new. I have no idea whether it's a neurodiversity thing, or a laziness thing, or if it's just me overreacting and he's the normal one. It's so hard to tell!

The backs are absolutely scruffy

Not as much as you'd think, because there are just so many applicants for every position. In this area at least.

He has short legs!

A lot of people dress more casual, sloppy, the date of caring are gone, in non customer services roles.

Yanbu, you should keep clothing clean, fresh.

My old boss was always dress very professional, his children took over, two sloppy lads in casual clothing, the staff have following the lead, it is casual Friday and worse everyday.

Pyjama next.

I would say they are rather scruffy unless he was doing messy work that day. As a manager it's also partly about looking like you have a little more gravitas.

"In these very casual days, if in doubt, it’s a good rule to be be slightly overdressed" was almost what I said, word-for word @theunbreakablecleopatrajones

They're fine. I work in an office and people wear scruffier stuff than that all the time and no one cares.

They're fine for training as a night manager, but when not training it would be better to wear jeans that aren't stained as even night managers are customer facing as they normally start at 10 and stores don't shut til midnight. If he doesn't want to buy trousers, he'll have an allocation he can order through his tesco login, I get 5 pairs of shorts or trousers that I can order even though I don't have to wear uniform at all

They're fine for his role on that day.
I get where you are coming from, but standards seem to have slipped these days. My DS is a manager for a rival supermarket. When he started it was all suit trousers, shirts and ties. Now it's jeans, chinos and polo shirts.

He was literally told to wear jeans, as he was just doing training and not customer facing. So for today, they were fine.

He was told to wear jeans. He’s wearing jeans. Are you the type who always knows best?